Post by Tom Goodrick on Aug 22, 2008 19:29:41 GMT -5
Before takeoff, make some preparations that will help during climb.
1) Pick an altitude.
2) Determine a departure course.
3) Determine a cruise course.
Set the autopilot for the departure heading and for the climb to cruise altitude.
Climbing to altitude involves several considerations:
1) Maintain a suggested direction until reaching a certain altitude. (Typical runway heading to 1000 ft.)
2) Use the best climb speed for the aircraft.
3) Use the recommended max continuous power or slightly less.
4) Watch for traffic.
For a circuit back to an approach for a practice landing, climb to 1000 ft and then maintain climb airspeed while levelling off and doing a 180 turn (usually left) to downwind. Maintain the same speed on downwind and through the 180 degree turn back to final approach heading. Line up with the runway, fly the normal approach and landing.
Once you reach the 1000 ft altitude after takeoff, I recommend you turn on the autopilot for the remainder of the flight, until ready for landing. It can fly better than you can. Use the autopilot in either HDG mode or NAV mode. (You might want to read the discussion on the autopilot in a separate section.) Use NAV mode only if you have set up a Flight Plan. Even then, use HDG mode to get out of the airport area using a SID, ATC vectors or common sense. Use also ALT mode. In this mode you set the next level of altitude to which you are cleared if under ATC direction or set cruise level. Set climb power which is normally 80 to 85% of max continuous power. Then set a climb rate on the autopilot that it can achieve while maintaining a reasonable airspeed.
In a single-engine plane, set an initial climb rate between 700 fpm and 1000 fpm. A good climb airspeed is 50% to 65% above stall speed. But your only control of airspeed is through your setting of climb rate. But if the airspeed continuously decreases, set a lower climb rate.
In a twin engine plane, set a climb rate of 1000 to 1500 fpm. In a turboprop use between 1200 and 2000 fpm. In a jet use 3000 to 5000 fpm.
If you are flying a piston-engine airplane without turbocharging, you'll have to watch the climb rate closely and adjust the mixture as you climb, beginning about 3000 ft. Lean the mixture watching the fuel flow and stop when the fuel flow is at a maximum. Continue this process every 2000 ft to cruise altitude. If your piston aircraft has an engine with turbocharging, you should be able to leave the mixture set on rich during the climb and the subsequent cruise. In turboprops or jets there is no mixture control to worry about.
Turning to the cruise heading as soon as possible is important. The higher you go before doing that, the faster you will be going over the ground and the slower you will turn. If you are just levelling at 1000 ft and doing a 180 to downwind, you should try to do both the initial turn and the last turn to final approach at the same speed. That will help you line up with the runway. Both the turn radius and the time to turn will increase significantly with speed. here is a table of radius and turn time for 180 degrees with true airspeed at a thirty degree bank:
KTAS__Rad (nm)___T180 (sec)
100____0.25_______29
150____0.57_______43
200____1.02_______57
250____1.59_______71
If you are at or below 2000 ft msl, true airspeed is only 3% greater than indicated airsped. Here's a table of true airspeed ratio to indicated with altitude:
ALT_____TAS / IAS
0________1.0
2000'_____1.03
4000'_____1.061
6000'_____1.094
8000'_____1.128
10,000'____1.164
20,000'____1.370
30,000'____1.65
40,000'____2.022
1) Pick an altitude.
2) Determine a departure course.
3) Determine a cruise course.
Set the autopilot for the departure heading and for the climb to cruise altitude.
Climbing to altitude involves several considerations:
1) Maintain a suggested direction until reaching a certain altitude. (Typical runway heading to 1000 ft.)
2) Use the best climb speed for the aircraft.
3) Use the recommended max continuous power or slightly less.
4) Watch for traffic.
For a circuit back to an approach for a practice landing, climb to 1000 ft and then maintain climb airspeed while levelling off and doing a 180 turn (usually left) to downwind. Maintain the same speed on downwind and through the 180 degree turn back to final approach heading. Line up with the runway, fly the normal approach and landing.
Once you reach the 1000 ft altitude after takeoff, I recommend you turn on the autopilot for the remainder of the flight, until ready for landing. It can fly better than you can. Use the autopilot in either HDG mode or NAV mode. (You might want to read the discussion on the autopilot in a separate section.) Use NAV mode only if you have set up a Flight Plan. Even then, use HDG mode to get out of the airport area using a SID, ATC vectors or common sense. Use also ALT mode. In this mode you set the next level of altitude to which you are cleared if under ATC direction or set cruise level. Set climb power which is normally 80 to 85% of max continuous power. Then set a climb rate on the autopilot that it can achieve while maintaining a reasonable airspeed.
In a single-engine plane, set an initial climb rate between 700 fpm and 1000 fpm. A good climb airspeed is 50% to 65% above stall speed. But your only control of airspeed is through your setting of climb rate. But if the airspeed continuously decreases, set a lower climb rate.
In a twin engine plane, set a climb rate of 1000 to 1500 fpm. In a turboprop use between 1200 and 2000 fpm. In a jet use 3000 to 5000 fpm.
If you are flying a piston-engine airplane without turbocharging, you'll have to watch the climb rate closely and adjust the mixture as you climb, beginning about 3000 ft. Lean the mixture watching the fuel flow and stop when the fuel flow is at a maximum. Continue this process every 2000 ft to cruise altitude. If your piston aircraft has an engine with turbocharging, you should be able to leave the mixture set on rich during the climb and the subsequent cruise. In turboprops or jets there is no mixture control to worry about.
Turning to the cruise heading as soon as possible is important. The higher you go before doing that, the faster you will be going over the ground and the slower you will turn. If you are just levelling at 1000 ft and doing a 180 to downwind, you should try to do both the initial turn and the last turn to final approach at the same speed. That will help you line up with the runway. Both the turn radius and the time to turn will increase significantly with speed. here is a table of radius and turn time for 180 degrees with true airspeed at a thirty degree bank:
KTAS__Rad (nm)___T180 (sec)
100____0.25_______29
150____0.57_______43
200____1.02_______57
250____1.59_______71
If you are at or below 2000 ft msl, true airspeed is only 3% greater than indicated airsped. Here's a table of true airspeed ratio to indicated with altitude:
ALT_____TAS / IAS
0________1.0
2000'_____1.03
4000'_____1.061
6000'_____1.094
8000'_____1.128
10,000'____1.164
20,000'____1.370
30,000'____1.65
40,000'____2.022